The Venezuela We Are With You Coalition (CVEC), based in Toronto, is a coalition oforganizations and individuals with various points of view and approaches, united in support of the Bolivarian Revolution.

Published 25 March 2015 The governments of the Bolivarian Revolution have taken concrete steps to confront the threat of climate change. On Tuesday, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced the creation of the Ministry of Eco-socialism and Water, which will be tasked with protecting the environment in the context of the construction of 21st century socialism.

President Maduro said the creation of the new ministry was in direct response to demands, made by environmental social movements, to take more dramatic action in the face of climate change. According to the Venezuelan head of state, the ministry will also be in charge of strengthening “the ecology of socialism of the 21st century.” The new body will supervise the implementation of the National Water Plan, designed to ensure public access to water, as well as the Tree Mission, which involves the community in reforestation efforts.

President Maduro made the announcement during his weekly television program where he was joined by Guillermo Barreto, who will head up the new ministry. Barreto previously served as vice-minister for environmental eco-socialism.

Despite being one of the world's largest produces of oil, Venezuela has made significant efforts to address climate change. In November, Venezuela hosted the summit of environmental activists in anticipation of the United Nations COP20 climate change conference, where delegates to the summit met directly with government ministers.

Venezuela's five-year national development plan — known as the “Plan for the Homeland” — calls for the “preservation of life on the planet and the salvation of the human race.”

Obama’s executive order on Venezuela has drawn international condemnation.

“How is Venezuela a threat to the United States? Thousands of kilometers away, without strategic weapons and without the resources … to conspire against the U.S. constitutional order; the (White House) declaration has little credibility,” read a statement published in newspaper Granma.

Former Cuban President Fidel Castro has also praised Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's “brilliant and valiant” response to what he described as “brutal” U.S. plans against Venezuela. The comments were made in a short letter to Maduro on Monday night.

Earlier in the day, Bolivia's President Evo Morales said the regional blocs CELAC and UNASUR should immediately hold an “emergency meeting,” arguing the U.S. sanctions pose a threat to “all of Latin America and the Caribbean.”

"We condemn, we repudiate, in the 21st Century we won’t accept this kind of intervention by the United States,” Morales said. “All of our solidarity and our support goes to President Maduro, and the revolutionary Bolivarian government and people of Venezuela.”

UNASUR's head and other regional leaders including Ecuador's President Rafael Correa have already slammed the White House's decision to impose more sanctions on Venezuela.

On Monday, President Barack Obama declared Venezuela an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to the United States.

Obama also issued sanctions on several high ranking Venezuelan government officials. The measures were issued under an executive order. In the past, the Obama administration has condemned Maduro for using executive orders to pass legislation.

“We believe the separation of powers and the presence of independent branches of government are essential elements of democracy," a White House spokesperson said in 2013, after Maduro used an executive order to pass legislation aimed at stabilizing consumer prices.

The presentation below is by Venezuelan born Dr. Maria Paez. It was given at the celebration of the Ten Year Anniversary of ALBA-TCP in Toronto on February 21, 2015. The event which drew over 70 was organized by the Canadian-Cuban Friendship Association and the Louis Riel Bolivarian Circle. Diplomatic representatives from Cuba and Venezuela gave greetings, and Five panelists spoke on the various aspect of ALBA which has made it a success and a model of cooperation. Music, poetry and refreshments added to the festivities of the occasion.
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by Dr. Maria Paez

If we take a quick look at world history, the most significant alliances between countries have been made for the purposes of war. In recent history, the European Union was established with very laudable and lofty ideals…but its result was the strengthening the markets for corporations, not the welfare of the European people.

Two powerful institutions, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund were established for supposedly generous purposes of facilitating credit for developing nations. Sadly, in practice, their neoliberal policies resulted in not so generous consequences: in overwhelming national debts and imposition of austerity policies that impinged on the sovereignty of countries to decide their domestic affairs and brutally deteriorated the social services for their people. The European Union Bank has followed in the steps of the IMF and WB with respect to European nations that have the weaker economies, thus we have witnessed the staggering effects of their power on Spain, Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Ireland; as well even England and Germany’s populations have been affected: Some results have been:

* Socio-economic inequalities have been rising in the European Union, being higher today than in 1980. 23% of European (11.5 million people) are at risk of poverty or social exclusion. [1]

* In a recent report the Red Cross point to a massive rise in poverty in the European Union such that it is facing a catastrophic economic and social decline. It links this to the austerity measures that have snowballed poverty and unemployment. As poverty increased, social services have been reduced and there has been a 75% rise in suicides in Europe between 2009/10.[2]

* In Spain, where the unemployment rate is about 25% - one third of all unemployed in Europe. Suicides are at 7.6% per 100.000 people.[3]

* In Greece, suicides have increased by 40%, a 50-year high with one suicide per day a year between 2009/2010. Every 1% fall in government spending led to 0.43% rise in suicides among Greek men.[4]

* In England suicide rates have risen by 4% linked to the economic inequality crisis. [5]

* In the United States, poverty has increased every year in the past decade by 14% - that is 45 million people without counting the 12 million illegal immigrants. The bottom 90% Citizens there are poorer than in 1987.[6]

* There has been a 30% increase in suicides in a decade up from 13.7% Suicide is now the leading cause of death in the USA.[7]

That was the bad news. The good news is in Latin America

The Latin American region as a whole, and the [eleven] ALBA countries in particular are a beacon of hope and an example of social peace and well being for the world, an example of what real international solidarity looks like.

ALBA set out to help its member countries work together in harmony to be independent of the US empire by finding an alternative to corporate control of their economies. ALBA is a cohesive alternative vision of international trade and mutual help based on complementarity and solidarity, not domination or exploitation. It relies on an egalitarian relationship between the countries, respecting each country’s sovereignty, culture, and development paths, while focusing on trying to meet the real needs of the people.

ALBA has no equal in the world, yet it does not act in isolation, but hand in hand with other instruments of regional integrations: CELAC, UNASUR, MERCOSUR, Bank of the South.

The ALBA countries expressed clearly their objective stating:

“We agree to convert our countries, not into zones of free trade, but in zones free of hunger, illiteracy, misery and marginalization.” (12th ALBA Summit) Some of the achievements in this decade have been:

* Helping 70 million people out of predatory trade relationships imposed by the USA and the corporate elite

* Solidifying a Latin American block that is anti-imperialist and anti-neoliberal – its acting together internationally so as not to be victims of bullying and extortion

* Solidifying South-South trade and cooperation, with no strings attached

* In the last seven years, ALBA raised 11 million people out of poverty; in Bolivia, Ecuador, and Venezuela poverty was cut by half

* Training Latin American physicians in the free medical schools of Cuba and Venezuela

* Misión Milagro: has returned the miracle of eyesight to 3.5 million people

* Giving care to 1.3 million people with disabilities [8]

These objectives were met through several means

- Direct exchanges, such as for example, doctors for oil between Venezuela and Cuba

- Implementing their own currency, el SUCRE, which liberates them from having to get dollars. To date, there have been more than $700 million transactions with the Sucre between the ALBA countries

- ALBA BANK: unlike the WB, EB, IMF, loans do not come with strings attached. Loans and exchanges in ALBA recognize each country’s strengths, their unique path of development, allowing them to set their own development objectives in a more sustainable and equitable way than if they asked loans of the international organizations

- PETROCARIBE: Venezuela sells oil to the ALBA countries at market price but they pay only 50% up front, 25% over 20 years at 2% interest plus 25% is invested in joint poverty reductions programs

Another interesting aspect of ALBA is that it is committed to safeguarding the environment in as much as they can, helping each other to protect biodiversity and ecosystems and fight climate change. The have acted as a block and as such had a strong presence in the climate change summits. ALBA has unequivocably declared that “Nature is our home and is the system of which we form part, and therefore it has infinite value, but it does not have a price and is not for sale.”[9]

It is noticeable how increasingly spokespersons for the USA throw barbs against the ALBA countries. “It is a threat to the powerful to allow lesser states to have strong effective, and efficient governments, therefore they strive to keep them weak, dependent and compliant. “[10] ALBA is therefore, definitely in their crosshairs as it is a state-centred instrument that is linked to social movements, to counter weakness and dependency.

ALBA is an original project, although it has deep historical roots in the ideals of its liberators and indigenous leaders. It breaks the mold of previous relationships between nations and it is an alternative to the capitalist thrust to weaken welfare state infrastructure and increase privatization of public spheres.

The famed sociologist Eric Hobsbaum was aware of the threatening rise of the power of corporations and the erosion of the public sphere, which the only place where true democracy can flourish. He said that the future will depend on restoring public authorities that guard the public interest. And that is what the ALBA countries are doing: linking their governments and their social movements together to defend the public interest, their sovereignty and democracy helping each other to increase the happiness of their people.

There is recent talk in Europe about creating an association similar to ALBA in the southern European countries, and some are even speculating about “European Chavismo”[11]

The new leaders of Spain’ PODEMOS and Greece’s SYRIZA are both friends of the Bolivarian Revolution, and it will not be long when they also start looking to ALBA for a way toward genuine solidarity between nations. It is about time Europe cast aside their Eurocentrism, and looked South, to Latin America where there is a a new dawn for human development through genuine international solidarity and cooperation.

Who We Are

The Venezuela We Are With You Coalition (CVEC) unites organizations and individuals in the Toronto area who oppose intervention by the United States, Canada, or other foreign powers into the affairs of the Venezuelan people.

The Coalition supports Venezuela’s right to self-determination and the democratic and social achievements of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

The Coalition works to press the Canadian government to adopt a constructive attitude toward the revolutionary process in Venezuela, opposes threats and slanders against Venezuela, and works to enable the Canadian people to learn the truth about Venezuela’s struggles and achievements.

Contact Us!

We maintain an email list that forwards information on all Venezuela-related activity in the Toronto area, along with relevant background information. We send out 2-4 messages a month. We keep email addresses confidential and do not share them. To join the list: email cvec-tor[at]yahoogroups.com